Senate hearings on Donald TrumpSurgeon General nominee Casey Means' nomination was delayed after the candidate went into labor with her first child.
Means planned to go down in history as the first candidate to appear almost before Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions regarding her pregnancy on Thursday. The hearing was originally scheduled for two days after she gave birth, a person familiar with the case said. CNN. It is unclear when the meeting will be rescheduled.
In a statement provided to the Guardian, Emily Hilliard, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said: “Everyone is happy for Dr. Means and her family. This is one of the few times in life when it is easy to ask for a Senate hearing to be rescheduled.”
In May, Trump nominated Means to be U.S. Surgeon General, the president's second nominee for the position often called “the nation's doctor.” So, yeah health influencer and a doctor with an inactive medical license, follows the abrupt recall of Trump's first nominee, Dr. Jeanette Nesheiwat, whose confirmation hearing was canceled amid right-wing criticism and questions about her credentials.
Means, 38, is a Los Angeles-based medical entrepreneur who rose to prominence in conservative health circles for criticizing conventional medicine and advocating for improving the nation's food supply.
She is the bestselling author of Good Energy and a leading figure in the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. Her choice underscores the growing influence of the health minister. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.within the administration.
In a social media post, Trump said Means “has an impeccable reputation as a 'Mach.'
“Her academic achievements, as well as her life's work, are absolutely outstanding,” Trump said. “Dr. Casey Means has the potential to become one of the best surgeon generals in the history of the United States.”
Asked about the nomination shortly after it was announced, Trump said: “I don't know her. I took Bobby's recommendation.”
Means promotes holistic health through his book, blog, and speaking engagements, focusing on whole and natural foods, exercise, and limiting the prescription of pharmaceutical drugs to treat chronic diseases.
The Stanford Medical University-trained doctor also suggested that psychedelics such as psilocybin may have mental health benefits, denounced the widespread use of pesticides and warned against long-term use of hormonal contraceptives.
Means and her brother, former lobbyist Kelly Means, served as key advisers in Kennedy's long-shot 2024 presidential bid and helped win Trump's endorsement last summer. The pair performed with some of Trump's biggest supporters, earning praise from conservative pundit Tucker Carlson and podcaster Joe Rogan.
Kelly Means is now a White House adviser who frequently appears on television advocating restrictions on Snap benefits, removing fluoride from drinking water and other items on the Maha agenda.
